Conventional rod holders are well known for their functionality in holding most any style fishing rod as well as cutting tables, down riggers, shore power cords, boat hooks, gaffs, and so forth. Rod holders provide organization within the cockpit of a boat and are especially useful by providing a securing holding area when a boat is moving.
There have been many improvements to rod holders over the years. Examples of previously known forms of holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,448,808; 3,142,936; 3,902,816; 3,902,269; 3,964,706; 4,017,998; 4,062,299; 4,578,891, and 4,778,141. Most all known rod holders are secured to a transom of a boat by the use of fasteners that must engage the boat for securement. For instance, the most typically fastener is a wood screw which requires that the mounting service is structurally sound. The actual mounting service may be fiberglass, gel coat covered wood, plastic, aluminmum and so forth. In a typicaly wood based boat, the fastening screws must be sealed to prevent water intrusion that could allow the screw to back-out under pressure, or otherwise weaken the support.
Further, even if the fastening screws are properly sealed, the strength of the rod holder assembly is limited by the strength of the mounting surface. For instance, some production boats have a thin gunnel wall that is about ¼ in thickness and made of fiberglass. Should a large fish stike bait held on the end of a fishing rod, the rod and rod holder is at risk at being lost wherein a sharp pull could result in catastrophic failure of the fastener. In such instance, the use of a machine screw with enlarged washers may enhance the strength of the assmbly but is difficult to install and requires two people if the cockpit is lined.
Rod holders on more expensive boats may include a teak covering wherein the rod holder must be removed for periodic refinishing of the teak. Removal and subsequent installation can result in deformation of the screw heads and weakening of the support structure.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a rod holder that has all fasteners concealed from the elements and can be used on thin or otherwise structurally inept mounting surfaces.